The new food, moves, and lifestyle tweaks that will keep your metabolism humming all day long

Metabolism is a mystery. You may know that mastering it is the key to losing weight, but what is it? And where is it? Turns out it's the engine that drives every cell, and that means it's everywhere. Your metabolism helps you walk, talk, fight off illness, even read this article. Its fuel: calories. Each one you consume goes into the metabolic tank that powers the machine that is you. Keep that tank filled and you're good to go, right?

If only it were that simple. As you age, your body becomes less effective at burning calories, mostly because of a gradual decrease in activity and resulting loss of muscle. Your metabolism can dip as much as 25 to 30% over your adult life, says Miriam Nelson, PhD, director of the John Hancock Center for Physical Activity and Nutrition at Tufts University. As a result, your body tends to store excess calories in the form of—you guessed it—body fat, and that extra weight only slows you down more.

You don't, however, have to resign yourself to a life of forgiving jersey fabrics and shape-disguising tunics. For most women, strength-training can help boost metabolism by as much as 10% in 12 weeks by rebuilding muscle. You can increase it further by making small but targeted lifestyle changes. "Anything that energizes you—a good night's sleep, fresh air, sunlight, a healthy diet, regular exercise—ultimately helps drive metabolism," explains Nelson. (That goes for food, too! Check out 8 Metabolism-Boosting Meals.)

With that in mind, we've designed a round-the-clock plan that will tune up your fat-burning engine, boosting its efficiency and maximizing calorie burn morning, noon, and night. By shifting your body into high gear, these timely tips will help you burn 200 to 300 more calories a day. (And that doesn't even take into account your regular exercise routine.) Can't do it all? Don't worry—employing even a few of these steps will confer benefits. Now let's get going.

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Morning

Eat a 300- to 400-calorie breakfast In the AM, your energy stores are depleted by as much as 80% from the night before. Without food, your body shifts into starvation mode, which means it begins to conserve energy and burn fewer calories. (In other words: Your metabolic rate takes a nosedive.) That may be why, in one study, breakfast skippers were 4 1/2 times more likely to be obese than breakfast eaters. For more long-lasting energy, include whole grain complex carbohydrates like oatmeal.

Throw in a cup of halved strawberries Research suggests that getting enough vitamin C—75 mg a day—may be essential for optimal fat burning. The strawberries provide 90 mg.

Get a dose of sunlight "Exposure to bright light decreases melatonin and increases serotonin, shifting your body from sleep to awake mode and, in turn, revving your metabolic furnace," says health and psychology researcher Robert K. Cooper, PhD, author of the metabolism book Flip the Switch.

Take your multivitamin Antioxidant nutrients help protect mitochondria, tiny structures found in every cell, from damage; they're the microscopic fat-burning furnaces that convert food into fuel. (Not sure which ones to pop? We've got you covered with our definitive guide.)

Move at the office "Moving throughout the day—even if it's just walking to a colleague's office rather than sending an e-mail—keeps your metabolism higher than doing a workout and then remaining sedentary," says James O. Hill, PhD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado at Denver.

Sip a cup of coffee or tea Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant that moderately boosts metabolism, helping you burn about 20 extra calories.

Have a midmorning snack Good choices: a reduced-fat cheese stick or a cup of low-fat yogurt and a piece of fruit. Every time you eat, your body burns additional calories to digest the food. Take advantage of this automatic boost by eating something—even if it's very small—every 3 to 4 hours.

Accelerate the natural metabolic boost that occurs when you wake up by doing these poses. Yoga can also help control levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which begins to rise after waking and can contribute to muscle loss and a resulting dip in metabolism.

Downward Facing Dog Kneel with hands directly beneath shoulders, knees beneath hips, and toes tucked. Press palms into floor and lift tailbone toward ceiling, straightening legs so body forms an inverted V, as shown. Keep shoulders away from ears and relax head between arms. Hold for three to five breaths. Bend knees and relax down to floor.

Cobra Lie facedown with legs extended, toes pointed. Place hands on floor beneath shoulders, elbows close to torso. Press feet, thighs, hips, and pelvis firmly into floor and straighten arms, lifting chest as high as comfortably possible, as shown. Keep shoulders down and back, lifting through breastbone, opening chest, and lengthening spine. Hold for three to five breaths. Tuck toes under and push back into Downward Facing Dog. Repeat moves three to five times.

Afternoon

Eat a protein-packed lunch You'll burn more calories digesting your midday meal because protein is more difficult to break down than carbohydrates or fat. Try:

Roast turkey breast with sliced veggies and hummus wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla; add a piece of fruit

Salmon salad (like tuna salad but with canned salmon) topped with lettuce and tomato on a whole wheat bun; carrot sticks and grapes on the side

Chicken-vegetable soup with a whole wheat roll

Snack on nuts As your blood sugar and energy levels hit the postlunch slump, your metabolism also takes a dip. The protein and fiber in a handful of nuts (about 20) can help stave off hunger and keep you energized until dinnertime. "Nuts also contain monounsaturated fats, which have been found in studies to stimulate fat burning," says Cooper.

Laugh it up Laughing eases stress and boosts calorie burn up to 20%, reports a Vanderbilt University study of 90 men and women. Need a little inspiration? Check out The Onion, an irreverent—and completely fake—news site.

Take the stairs Climbing stairs quickly elevates your heart rate for a metabolic jolt that burns 8 calories per minute—twice as much as brisk walking. Try to accumulate 5 to 10 minutes during the afternoon.

Brew some green tea Studies show that the polyphenol compounds in 2 to 4 cups may help raise metabolism by as much as 35% and encourage fat burning. (Find out which brands we love most here.)

Commute—with a CD Relaxing music has been shown to reduce cortisol, a key metabolism-tempering hormone. Once tension has been tamed while on the highway, switch to more energizing music; upbeat tempos raise your heart and breathing rates and metabolism. And you'll be ready to tackle whatever awaits you when you arrive at home.

Stretch at your desk Counter the metabolism-depressing effects of midday stress by boosting circulation and easing upper-body tension. And take deep breaths while you stretch to provide cells with the energy-producing oxygen they need to burn fat.

Chair reach and drop:

A. Sit on edge of chair, feet flat, back straight. Extend arms overhead, palms facing each other, and gently arch back as far as comfortable. Hold 1 to 2 seconds, then sit back up and lower arms out to sides.

As little as 30 seconds of high-intensity exercise—like sprints—can spike levels of human growth hormone by a whopping 530%, British researchers report. This boost, in turn, helps build lean muscle and burn fat.

With our routine, you won't be working quite that hard, but you'll increase the intensity enough to enjoy a metabolic bump that will last several hours. Related Canadian research reveals that eight exercisers doing just four 30-second sprints three times a week for 2 weeks doubled their endurance in exercise tests and ramped up their mitochondria activity by 38%, meaning their muscles and cells could use more oxygen and burn more calories.

The following workout is based on a 1-to-10 scale of intensity, with 1 equivalent to sitting on the sofa and 10 equivalent to sprinting.

Sprint Walk

Time

Intensity

Minutes 1-2

Walk at 4 or 5, gradually ramping up to 7.

Minute 3

Blast off for 30 seconds at 9 or 10, then taper down to 5 for 30 seconds.

Minutes 4-5

Walk at 4 or 5, gradually ramping up to 7.

Minute 6

Blast off for 30 seconds at 9 or 10, then taper down to 5 for 30 seconds.

Minutes 7-8

Walk at 4 or 5, gradually ramping up to 7.

Minute 9

Blast off for 30 seconds at 9 or 10, then taper down to 5 for 30 seconds.

Minutes 10-11

Walk at 4 or 5, gradually ramping up to 7.

Minute 12

Blast off for 30 seconds at 9 or 10, then taper down to 5 for 30 seconds.

Minutes 13-15

Cool down at 4 or 5.

Evening

Have a light (500- to 700-calorie) dinner A balanced meal, such as fish, chicken, lean meat, or soy with steamed or saut? veggies and a side of beans and rice, will refuel you without slowing you down. "Pause 15 minutes before taking second helpings; a relaxed eating style will ensure you don't get overstuffed," suggests Cooper. (Consider one of our 400-Calorie pasta meals!)

Pay bills, sort mail, surf the Web, or knit You'll burn up to 54 more calories per hour than if you simply sit guarding the remote. (Bonus: Your hands will be too busy to reach into a bag of chips or cookies.)

Lower the thermostat to sleep better Skimp on shut-eye and you'll not only feel sluggish the next day—making activity less attractive—but you'll also be more at risk of gaining weight. A new report from the Nurses' Health Study, which followed more than 68,000 women for 16 years, found that women who slept just 5 hours a night were 32% more likely to gain 30-plus pounds during adulthood than those who got 7 hours of shut-eye, even though the light sleepers typically ate less.[pagebreak]

Your After-work Exercise Plan: 5 Strength-Building Moves

"For every pound of muscle you build, you'll burn up to 50 extra calories a day," says Nelson. Why lift now? Body temperature inches upward as the day goes on, peaking around 5 PM (when it's about 1 to 2°F warmer than it is in the morning), priming your muscles for activity.

Studies show that evening exercisers move faster, produce more power, and don't fade as fast--all while feeling less tired. Try this multimuscle starter routine: Perform two sets of 8 to 10 reps, 3 days a week with a rest day after each.

2. Lunge Curl Stand with left foot about 3 feet in front of right with left foot flat and right heel off floor. Hold 8- to 12-pound dumbbells down at sides, palms facing forward. Bend both knees, lowering right knee straight down until left thigh is parallel to floor. Keep left knee directly above ankle. As you lower, curl weights toward shoulders. Then straighten legs and lower dumbbells back to start position and repeat.

3. Plilé Lat Raise Stand with feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes pointing out. Hold 5- to 8-pound dumbbells down at sides, palms facing in. Keeping back straight, bend knees and lower hips until thighs are nearly parallel to floor. At the same time, raise weights out to sides until arms are at shoulder height. Return to start and repeat.

5. Curl & Press Hold an 8- to 12-pound dumbbell in each hand and lie on floor with knees bent, feet flat. Position dumbbells at either side of chest, palms facing feet. Contract abs and curl head, shoulders, and upper back off floor. Once in the up position, press weights straight above chest. Lower weights, roll back to start, and repeat.